Closings

Severe Weather

Kris Ketz

From the South Central riots in Los Angeles to Hurricane Andrew in Louisiana to national political conventions, when it comes to big stories, KMBC 9 News anchor-reporter Kris Ketz has always found himself in the right place at the right time.

Kris is also an Emmy-award winning anchor and investigative reporter, having captured a Midwest Emmy for best anchor in 2008. He also won in 1991 for an in-depth report on the influence of the Ku Klux Klan in the Kansas City area. He was nominated for a 2003 Emmy for best anchor. Kris was also nominated for a 2011 Regional Emmy award for “general assignment reporting” for a heartwarming story about a first time meeting between a heart transplant recipient and the donor’s family.

Kris joined KMBC-TV on July 4, 1983. For 14 years he co-anchored the weekday editions of KMBC 9 News at 5 before being named co-anchor of KMBC 9 First News in October 2007

Kris is a graduate of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He began his broadcasting career at the age of 18 as a weekend news anchor for radio station WQUA in Moline, Ill. Kris progressed to afternoon and morning anchor, until he became the station's news director.

Kris broke into television four years later with WQAD-TV in Moline in 1981. WQAD-TV was the station where his father had anchored the news for 35 years. Kris rose from weekend co-anchor/producer to weeknight co-anchor at WQAD.

A highlight of Kris' career was the chance to co-anchor a Father's Day edition of KMBC 9 News at 10 with his dad in 1998.

He was named "Best Reporter" in a reader's poll in Kansas City Magazine for 2003 and 2001.

Kris was also the 2004 recipient of the prestigious Barbara Potts award from Hope House for raising community awareness about domestic violence in Kansas City.

Hope House is now the largest domestic violence shelter in Missouri with centers in Independence and Lee's Summit.

Kris was an active member in the Hispanic Media Association of Greater Kansas City. He has also been active in raising money on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association through his involvement with the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. Kris has been a co-host of local MDA telethons in Kansas City and the Quad Cities since 1980.

Kris's 25th anniversary at Channel 9 was marked by a special congratulatory resolution introduced and approved by the Kansas City, Mo., City Council in August 2008.

In October 2012, Kris was inducted into the Silver Circle of the Mid-America Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), an elite group of professionals recognized for making a significant contribution to television in the last 25 years or more.

Kris is married to Dana Wright, co-host of "Dana and Parks" weekday afternoons on 98.1 FM KMBZ.